Utility light



Feb. 9, 1937. E H KEY 2,070,548

UTILITY LIGHT Filed Jan. 13, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J L LII|LI||||/lnuenlor eoi'ye E1568 By A M Home Feb. 9, 1 937. G, E, c y 2,070,548

UTILITY LIGHT Filed Jan. 13, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 607 8 EYE-w Byii a A I nfys Patented Feb. 9, 1937 UNITED,

PATENT OFFICE 7 2,070,548 urns'rr mam .eorge E,Hickey,'Sac1-amento, Cal.1 Application was is. 1 936, Serial'No. 58,968

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the general artof illumination and more particularly to a utility light for vehicles.

The principal object of theinvention is to pro- 7, vide an auxiliarylight in the form of an attachment for automobiles and other vehicleseither air or land and even marine, wherein the lamp is placed in acompartment having a closure and equipped with switch means forcontrolling the in lamp automatically as the closure to the compartmentis opened.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a utility lightof simple construction and constructed in such a manner as to permit 1:,installation at low cost without difliculty.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

20 Figure 1 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through thehood of an automobile showing the utility lamp installed.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the switch.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the switch.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the switch takensubstantially on line 5-5 of Figure 4..

Figure 6 is a perspective view of. the contact actuator.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the stationary contact plate.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen in Figures 1 and 2, that numeral 5 generally refers to ahood portion of an automobile which includes the hingedly connected sideflaps 6|. Numeral 8 represents the usual cowl wall on which the switchand lamp assemblies generally referred to by numeral 9 is supported.

This assembly consists of a bracket ll which is of U-shape having itsleg portion a secured to 45 the front side of the cowl wall 8 bysuitable means ll, while the other leg portion 1: has an opening thereinfor receiving the socket l2 of the lamp which includes a reflector l3and the bulb H. The reflector I3 is provided with a beak I! for castingthe light downwardly.

The switch for shutting on and of! current to the bulb It includes ahousing It mounted upon the bracket Ill and provided with openings IT inthe top thereof through which the binding post l8-l8 projecting upwardlyfrom the dielectric plate I9 can extend to which wires from the sourceof current (not shown) and from the socket 12 can connect.

The dielectric plate I9 is secured in place by suitable means 20.Secured to the bottom of the dielectric plate I! is the strip'springcontactor 2| having one end anchored to one of the binding posts it. Theother binding post i8 has a contact 25 are apertured as at 26 andflexible connecting members 21 extend between these apertured ends andhood flaps 5-4 in the manner substantially shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A contact actuator, in the form of a leg member 28, is secured to theshaft 23 and has a foot 29 at its free end, which can engage the spring2| when the shaft'23 is rotated by actuation of the arms 25 to engagethe spring 2| against the contact 22 and thus cause a current supply tothe bulb M. This closing of the switch takes place when the hood flaps6| (one or the other) are lifted, so that immediately upon lifting ofthe" hood the engine is flooded with light.

A coiled extensible spring 30 at one end connected to the end of the legmember 28. opposite fromits foot 29 and its opposite end to the plate I9 of insulation thus normally holding the leg member 20 in the positionshown in Figure 5.

, The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specificterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In combination, on automobile hood.- including a pair of swingableclosures, a lamp mounted within the hood, a switch mounted within thehood, said switch including a housing provided with a shaft disposedtherethrough, an arm on each end of the shaft outside of the housing, aflexible connection between the free end of each of the arms and acorresponding closure, a plate of'insulation secured to the inside ofthe top of the housing, the top of the housing being provided withopenings therein, a pair of contact derlie the contact head, a member inthe housing secured to the shaft and being adapted to push the springcontact finger against the contact head when the shaft is rocked bymotion transmitted to either of the arms by the closure. 5

GEORGE E. HICmY.

